6 THE BORDER ANGLER. 



his camp-kettle to what its shape would argue to have 

 been its legitimate purpose — that of boiling the shoul- 

 der or " tail-scud" (Tweedside x)hraseology) of a noble 

 salmon. Wiser too in their generation than the abori- 

 gines, were the Monks of Melrose, of Dr}^burgh, of Kelso, 

 and of Jedburgh. Well did they use, and carefully 

 did they guard, the piscarial rights conferred by their 

 charters ; and many were the laws which, doubtless in 

 great measure through their influence and that of the 

 Border Chiefs, the Scots Parliament passed against fish- 

 ing in breeding-time, and against the taking of salmon 

 by the profane vulgar for less sacred uses than the com- 

 fort of conventual stomachs and the gracing of baronial 

 boards. We mistake the character, however, of the 

 ancestors of the present breed that inhabits our border 

 counties, if they did not get a quiet share of what was 

 going, or if the taste and flavour of the different species 

 of the salmo which fi'equent their waters were unfa- 

 miliar to their palates. Indeed, notwithstanding the 

 severity of the penalties attached to illegal fishing, 

 fish were so plentiful, and there were so few ways of 

 getting rid of them, that, according to the often-told 

 stor}', within the last two hundred years servants and 

 apprentices made it part of theii' agreements that they 

 were not to be required to eat salmon oftener than 

 three or four times a- week. Although, no doubt, the 

 food being so rich and luscious, any stomach would re- 

 bel at having itself stuff'ed with fresh salmon daily, we 

 fancy the salmon thus protested against were rather 

 kippered foul-fish and bull-trouts, that had hung in the 

 chimney for months, than the newly-caught aquatic 

 prince himself. At any rate, there is no necessity for 



